Turn the Page
by Juliet Capulet Montague
Summary: Set in 2004, Max and Xavier fall passionately in love and are torn apart by class differences. This is "The Notebook" in modern days, without the deal with Alzheimers. Contains scenes from the movie. I own nothing. Rated T for sexuality and language.


Turn the Page

Xavier Hunts strolled along the beach, letting the wind blow into his face. It was a humid evening, the sun just beginning to set. Sixteen years old and living in a poor family, he rarely had any positive memories. His parents had been strict about romantic relationships, fearing that they would just interfere with what mattered: getting a great career to support the family. He'd never sought out love, nor ever wanted to fall in love. He saw a young woman's silhouette standing in the distance, her arms crossed and her hair blowing in the wind. Surprised to see her, he approached her. "Hello?" he asked.

She turned to him, her physical appearance much more distinguishable now. Her long, blonde hair rested upon her shoulders, her brown eyes solemn. She had a pale complexion and fit physique; she appeared to fifteen years old. "Hello," she greeted him. "Who're you?"

"Xavier Hunts," he answered. "I just moved here."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the young woman responded. "I'm Max. Max Ramirez." She uncrossed her arms, afraid she was giving him a bad impression. "I've lived here for as long as I can remember."

"You have?" Xavier pressed.

She nodded in reply. "This place is my home, Xavier. I was born here in North Carolina. My parents…they're the richest in town."

"Do you think we could…go out for dinner?" he found himself asking. Max hesitated; was he already romantically interested in her?

"Sure," she answered before she could think it through. "What time?"

"How about 8:00 tonight at the local park?" he answered.

"Sounds great!" Max said. "I'll see you there!" She then departed, leaving Xavier in high spirits. There was a part of him that was falling in love with Max, and another that was unsure of his feelings for her.

Max walked to her mansion and closed the door behind her, leaning on it once she was inside. "Max," said her mother. "Where were you?"

"I was on the beach, Mom," she said irritably. Her parents had been very overprotective ever since her brother had drowned in the ocean while rough-housing with some of his friends. They had also never approved of any of her romantic relationships in fear of attempted rape or possible womanizers. It was because of this that Max's relationship with her parents had been estranged and complicated. "I met this man—Xavier Hunts."

Mrs. Ramirez dropped the glass she had been holding in her hands. "I told you that relationships were off-limits!"

"I just met him, Mom!" Max shot back. "That doesn't guarantee we'll fall in love." She stormed upstairs to her bedroom, frustrated by her mother's strictness. She was 16 years-old; it was time she was allowed to become independent…be her own person. The only thing that was holding her back was her parents. They had good intentions in mind, but Max seemed to doubt it. Her father was much harsher than his wife; he was infamous in the family for his violent temper tantrums as well as his drug abuse. As of now, he was a recovering drug addict. She lay down on her bed, pondering her upcoming rendezvous with Xavier. It would be a good way to get to know him better so a friendship could develop between the two of them. She sighed in frustration; what would she tell her parents? Telling them the truth directly would only end in disaster given their firm rules. They would never approve of a potential love affair with Xavier, but Max didn't care. If their relationship turned romantic, she'd just see him discreetly. She snapped herself out from thinking such thoughts; could a romance with Xavier be on the horizon?

Xavier remained on the beach. He was drawn to Max's beauty and kind personality, but was he falling in love with her within hours of their first encounter? He shook his head in denial; there was no way he could be developing feelings for her. However, he wanted to be friends with her before a romantic relationship possibly bloomed. She seemed like a good person, yet there was something about her that had an intense power over him. He looked at his watch; it read 7:30. Swiftly, he got up, donned a tuxedo and got in his Subaru before driving to the park.

Max stood in front of the mirror. Her long, sleek blonde hair was in a side-swept braid and she was in a crimson, knee-length dress and black strapless high heels. She had a fair amount of make-up on, and she thought she appeared fine. Xavier would be pleased at her appearance, she was sure. She headed downstairs to see her parents watching the newly-released-on DVD _Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King_. Quickly and quietly, she sneaked out the door and climbed into her scarlet Mustang before driving to the bistro. She saw Xavier waiting by the door, and she couldn't help but smile at him and how handsome he looked in his tuxedo. "Hello," she said warmly. She drew near to him and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. "So, this is where you wanted to meet me?"

He nodded, still taking in the fact that she'd kissed him. "Yes," he confirmed as they began to walk.

"Well, Xavier. You've a good taste," Max said playfully, tenderly wrapping her arms around him. As she locked eyes with him, she just knew she—Max Ramirez, 15, and heiress of the Ramirez legacy—was falling hopelessly in love with Xavier Hunts, 16, a young man who had no money nor career to support his family. Xavier gently rested his hands on her waist. "Can I have this dance?"

"Yes," she responded, meeting his eyes. They began to move slowly, circling around the vacant, starlit park. Xavier twirled her outward and she spun back into his arms. He rocked her in his arms, and knew for certain that he was in love with her. Max seemed to realize this, and he pressed his lips to hers. She locked her arms around his neck, reciprocating the kiss.

The summer went by swiftly, as the two lovers spent every day together. Max's parents were becoming increasingly suspicious of her activity, but she was oblivious to their concern. Xavier's parents, however, were too busy trying to get a job that they took no notice of his relationship with Max. It was an improbable romance; she was the richest girl in town, and he had little to no money at all to support his family. Xavier came sprinting over to her and pulled her face to his in a passionate kiss. He pushed her against the door of her mansion, and they broke apart. "I love you, Max," he whispered.

"I love you too, Xavier," she replied. They got into her Mustang, and Xavier took them to an ancient, abandoned shack.

"I plan on rebuilding this place," he told her. "It's a big piece of crap that needs remodeling." Laughing, Max wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It's going to be amazing when you finish it up," she told him. He smiled, and tenderly kissed her. The kiss grew deeper and deeper, and soon, they were kissing against the wall. Xavier began to plant kisses on the hollow of her neck. The moment became increasingly intimate as they kissed. Xavier hitched Max's leg around his waist and she lay her head on his shoulder, beats of sweat forming on her forehead. He took off his shirt and was about to strip Max when his brother, Kevin, came running in.

Xavier pulled apart from his romantic embrace with his lover and yelled, "GET OUT OF HERE!"

"I'm sorry, but Max's parents are going crazy! They've every cop in town out searching for her!"

Once they were dressed, Max and Xavier rushed to her house and she sprinted inside to see that her parents were absolutely livid while her boyfriend sat down in the living room. "We know about Xavier," her mother said coldly. "What the hell were you thinking, sneaking off like that to have sex with him?"

"We were never making love, Mom!" Max said fiercely. "It wasn't—" A pit formed in her stomach at the confirmation of her mother's knowledge of her relationship with Xavier. It had to have been her constant sneaking off that had proved her thoughts as correct.

"Never mind what it was," she responded. "I forbid you from seeing Xavier ever again." Hot tears burned in Max's eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

"Why?" she shouted. "Is it because his family is in poverty, is that it?"

"He seems like a nice boy," Mr. Ramirez interjected, "but he's—"

"He's what?" his daughter screamed.

"Trash, trash, trash! He's not for you!" answered her mother. Max's heart shattered at these words; didn't her parents care about her?

"Not for me?" Max yelled tearfully. "_Not for me_? You don't look at Father the way I look at Xavier, Mother! Hell, you don't know love at all!" She was sobbing at this point.

Mrs. Ramirez scoffed, as if completely disregarding her daughter's words and tears. "Honestly, Max, you're the heiress to our inheritance. You should be dating socialites if you're to be in relationships! Besides, we're moving to Seabrook!" Outright disgusted by her mother's judgement, she tore out of the room to find Xavier leaving the house. "Xavier? Xavier!" she cried. She caught up to him, and he wiped her tears with his thumb. He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair as she looked up at him. "I'm so sorry," she apologized. "They…they just don't understand how much I love you."

"Max," he began, "I'm terribly sorry. You're moving, and I…I just don't belong in your world." Her heart broke even further if it wasn't broken enough.

"Are you breaking up with me?" she whispered in horror, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. He nodded silently, and a sudden rage flamed up inside of her. "You never loved me, did you? Did you?"

"I love you, Max, but I just can't do this anymore." That comment infuriated her. She shoved him with so much force he stumbled back a few steps; he was shocked at this. "What made you love me no longer, Xavier? Is it my parents or the fact that I'm wealthier than you?" she accused him, icicles dripping from her voice.

"Max, you don't understand," he said pleadingly. Her rage was like a volcano, and the volcano once again erupted. She slapped him across the face hard, tears of fury sliding from her beautiful brown eyes.

"Don't ever tell me I don't understand!" Max shot back. "Just go! Don't ever come back! I hate you! I hate you!" Xavier drove off, leaving Max heartbroken.

Sixteen years passed for the two of them. Xavier regretted breaking up with her, and wrote her for an entire year only to get no response due to her mother's interference. He eventually became a womanizer, desperately hoping that of all the women he made love to, he would encounter Max so he could apologize for ending their relationsip. Unbeknownst to him, she had moved on from him. She had reluctantly moved to Seabrook, and while there, she had fallen in love with Logan Hassan, who too was from a wealthy family, and the two eventually got engaged. Her relationship with her parents improved, but the strain about Xavier remained. Max reclined on the couch and her father walked in, the newspaper in hand. He appeared to be disgusted and he tossed the newspaper at Max. Wordlessly, she picked it up and was stunned. Xavier had repaired the house they had almost made love in, and was attempting to sell it. She put the paper aside, unable to believe it. Tears of shock burned in her eyes, and she ran to her vehicle. Her hands were shaking so hard that she struggled putting the key in the ignition. Logan was currently on duty as a cop, so he wouldn't know of what she was about to do. Once she pulled up to the house, she hit the brakes and climbed out. What would Xavier think of her just appearing at his doorstep? She rapped on the door thrice, and Xavier opened the door.

"Max?" he managed. She nodded silently, a wave of emotion striking her.

"Hello, Xavier," she said. "It's nice seeing you again." Her comment took him by surprise, and she continued. "I saw your picture in the paper with the house." He was unable to resist taking her into his arms, and their lips came crashing together. Max, however, was intolerant of this. She pushed him away and advertised her hand with her engagement ring, holding it out to him.

"I'm getting married," she reminded him. Deep down inside, she didn't mind the fact that he had kissed her upon her arrival, and she hated herself for it. She was marrying Logan, not Xavier. The situation was especially uncomfortable to her; she was engaged and yet her she was visiting her first love. If Logan found out about this, he'd be furious.

He let her in the house, and his heart broke. All chances of him holding her in his arms and whispering how much he loved her in her ear were destroyed. He wished to make love to her, but now that she was to be married, it'd never happen. "It's amazing how long it's been," he mused, "and here we are crossing paths."

"It's been 16 years," Max said, "almost two decades to that summer we spent together." She smiled at the memories. "We really loved each other, didn't we?"

"Yes," he responded, gazing in her eyes. _I love you, Max, _he thought to himself. Even after their break-up, he had still loved her. He hadn't cared about all those women he had slept with; Max was the woman he loved. There would never be another, not ever.

"My parents…they never approved of our relationship," she said.

"No," Xavier replied. "They didn't. It forced us apart." A thought suddenly dawned upon him. "Does Logan know you're here?"

"No," Max denied. "He wouldn't understand. When I first told him about you, he just dismissed it like my parents did shortly before we broke up."

"Is he a good man?"

"Yes, he is. You'd like him, Xavier," she said. "He's wealthy, too." She took a swig of the red wine. "Don't get me wrong, but I love him dearly."

"When's your wedding?" he asked, trying to mask his devastation with interest. His love for Max was growing with every moment he spent with her.

"It's in three months," Max answered. "Logan wants a summer wedding. You're more than welcome to attend if you so desire."

"Logan is a lucky man," Xavier said. "You're going to be a beautiful bride, Max, I know it." They got up from the table and headed outside to the porch. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Max hesitated. She was being unfair to her fiancé just by visiting Xavier, but she knew she had to see him. "Sure," she found herself saying. "Why not?" He smiled at her, and she departed.

As he watched her vehicle leave, Xavier admired her from afar. Despite her engagement, he still loved her as deeply as he did during their summer affair. She was the love of his life; never would he love another woman. Her kind personality and her exceptional beauty were the reasons why he loved her, but his love ran very deep and was unconditional. Tears stung in his eyes when it suddenly hit him. She was engaged to marry another man, Logan Hassan. He was unable to keep his tears from falling at the thought; he wasn't the fortune man who was about to have Max Ramirez as his wife, Logan Hassan was. A choked sob escaped his chest and he staggered back a few steps, burying his face in his hands. He leaned against the door, sobbing silently.

The next day, Max forced herself out of bed. She took a long, warm shower before drying off and donning a ruby, knee-length, strapless dress and black, strapped high heels. After dressing, she brushed her hair out so it was straight. She climbed into her Mustang and returned to Xavier's house, pondering what surprises today would bring. Would Xavier attempt to court her again? Or would he force her to make love to him? She shook off that sickening thought; she knew him well enough to know that he would never rape her, drunk or not drunk. Logan, however, was different. She had never seen him in a fury before, and she couldn't take a chance of him finding out about her seeing Xavier and flying into a drunken rage. Logan was an occasional drunk, and Max sometimes feared that he'd become an alcoholic. She pulled up her vehicle in Xavier's driveway to see him sitting on the porch swing.

"Max!" he exclaimed. "You're here!" She beamed at him, and lightly kissed his cheek.

"Yes, I'm here," she confirmed playfully. She met his eyes, and knew that she was in love with him once more. All those years of separation had never changed that, not even her engagement to Logan. Xavier took her by the hand, and led her to the dock, where a canoe was waiting for them. "You up for a canoe ride, Max?"

She nodded. Xavier got into the canoe first and helped her in before he began to paddle. "Remember that night when we almost made love?" Max asked, breaking the powerful silence.

"Yes," Xavier replied. "It was one of the most sensual nights in my life. I wish your parents hadn't objected to our relationship. Who knows what our future could have been?"

"We could have been married," she said, taking him by surprise. She was engaged to Logan, but they didn't share the strong connection she had with Xavier.

He nodded silently. "In secret, like _Romeo and Juliet_?"

Max chuckled. "No, of course not!" she giggled. "I mean, if you look at it from a different perspective, we could very well be the real-life modern day version of Juliet and Romeo…without the double-suicide."

"I can visualize you as the beautiful Juliet Capulet," Xavier said, "but I can't see myself as the sorrowful Romeo Montague." Max was silent. "I can't envision myself as Romeo because…I've never loved another woman, Max. There was never a Rosaline." She was deeply moved by this confession, having just realized her renewed love for him. "I love you, Max Ramirez," he admitted softly just as they were returning to the dock. They climbed out from the canoe, ignoring the fact that it was downpouring.

"Why didn't you write me?" she asked. "Why? It wasn't over for me! For sixteen years, I waited for you! It's too late now!"

"I wrote you everyday for a year; it wasn't over. It still isn't over!" Xavier replied, and grabbed her waist, pulling her towards him. Their lips came crashing together, and he lifted her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around him, returning the kiss as he carried her inside his house. He slammed her against the wall, and she put her feet on the floor before helping him out of his shirt and unzipping his pants. Xavier stepped out of them before reaching behind Max and unzipping her dress, letting it fall to the ground. He hoisted her up in his arms and headed upstairs. They arrived in his bedroom, and they fell onto his bed. Max and Xavier were unable to control their passions as they made love, yet it was a major release for both of them. Xavier broke a kiss and rid his lover and himself of the remainder of their clothes. "I love you, Xavier," Max said breathlessly, and he leaned forward, pressing his mouth to hers in a passionate kiss. She was unable to ignore the intense throbbing inbetween her legs, her hands caressing his chest. Xavier began to kiss her neck, and she gripped the bars of the bed, her back slightly arched. Her moans and whimpers filled the room, but they were too engrossed in their lovemaking to take notice.

Xavier reached beneath Max, pulling her toward him so they were both sitting up, and she stretched out her legs, locking them around his back. She cupped his face with her hands, the throbbing intensifying much quicker. "Xavier…," she gasped, resting her hands on his shoulders to leverage herself. The lovers leaned heads, gasping for breath. Max caressed his cheek and he looked her in the eyes. God, she was gorgeous.

"I never stopped loving you, Max," Xavier confessed.

"Neither did I," she whispered, not trusting her voice. "Even after all these years, I still loved you." She gently kissed him as if to reaffirm her love.

Xavier was perplexed by this declaration of love, given her engagement to Logan, but didn't bother to object as he deeply kissed Max. She kissed him back, and they made love until exhaustion and content.

The following two days were simple yet passionate. Every morning and after each meal, Max and Xavier made love until they were fully satisfied. Max was contemplating whether or not to marry Logan, and it was a painful choice. No matter whom she chose to stay with, the other would be hurt. However, Xavier was never aware of her consideration, as he was too immersed in their passion. Max rolled over to face him, stroking his face. "I love you," she murmured, and her lips met his. She felt guilty for having an affair with her first love, but as much as she loved Logan, she couldn't continue her affair with Xavier after she was married. Xavier brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, and they almost shared a kiss until they heard a vehicle pull up in the driveway. "Oh, shit," Max cursed. "It's probably Logan." Xavier quickly doned his clothes, while Logan's fiancée draped the sheet over her. She rushed downstairs and flung the door open to see Jessica Ramirez.

"Mom," she said, appalled. "What're you doing here?"

"I could ask the same thing of you, Max," Mrs. Ramirez countered, just as horror-struck as her daughter was. "Where's Xavier?"

"He's getting dressed," Max replied coolly.

"What in the hell were you thinking when you came here?" she demanded.

"I saw Xavier in the newspaper," continued Logan's future wife. "I just had to see him, Mom. I love him!"

"I thought you loved Logan—your _fiancé_! The joy on your face after his proposal was no lie!" She stepped into the house and Max slammed the door behind her.

"Would it bother you if I said I love both men?" Max snapped, shocking her mother into silence. "I love both of them!"

"You're marrying Logan!" her mother said after moments of silence. "You just cannot abandon him at the altar, nor _sleep with _Xavier! Hell, you aren't even marrying Xavier!"

"What does it matter if I marry him or not?" she retaliated.

"Xavier is of lower class, Max! I thought we told you that sixteen years ago!" Jessica fired back. Max was irate; although her mother had a point, she had to choose between her fiancé or Xavier. "You're an engaged woman," she said icily, "not a prostitute. Now get some clothes on, and then we'll continue this discussion." An agitated Max went upstairs and donned a black tank-top, dark blue jeans and her black, strapped high-heels before going downstairs to her mother.

"I'm not a prostitute, Mother," she said angrily. "Just because I lost my virginity to another man does not mean I'm selling my body." Jessica, tired of arguing, proceeded to storm out of the house and Xavier came down to Max.

"God, what was going on?" he asked.

"We were just fighting about my time here," Max responded. "Xavier…I can't stay here."

"So, you just came here to lose your virginity to me and then return to your fiancé?" he accused.

"NO!" she retorted. "I'm not like that! You of all people should know that."

"Go back to Logan, Max," he said. "You're soon to marry him, not me. You had no right to be here since you're engaged." Tears streamed from her eyes and she whispered, "I love you." She turned away, got into her Mustang, and drove to the Holiday Inn, the local inn where Logan would be staying. She walked over to him, and he lightly kissed her.

"Where were you?' he asked.

"The stress of planning the wedding finally got to me," she responded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"It's fine, Max," her fiancé said. "I know that I was destined to marry you." She smiled weakly, her heart breaking. Her hand found its way to her engagement ring and she knew what she had to do, no matter how deeply it hurt.

"Logan, I'm sorry!" Max blurted. "I've been spending these past three days with Xavier. I lost my virginity to him…I still love him." He was horrified at her confession. "I love you, but I just can't do this. I can't marry you!" She was in tears by the time she had finished her admittance, and she slid off her engagement ring. "I am so sorry." She walked off, her vision hazed by tears. Quickly, she got in her Mustang and revved back to Xavier's house. She mopped her eyes with the back of her hand. The engagement was over; she was free to spend her life with Xavier. Once she arrived at his house, she got out of the car and practically ran into his arms. She knew where she belonged.

Two years passed for Max and Xavier. That fateful night soon came, when he proposed her hand in marriage, presenting her with a sapphire diamond ring. She had tearfully accepted without hesitation. On their wedding day, in the church's dressing room, Max stood before the mirror, clad in her wedding dress. She was absolutely stunned; her dress was elegant, romantic yet modern at the same time. The wedding march began to play, and the doors were opened. She slowly walked down the aisle; it was candlelit with roses bordering it. Xavier's eyes were fixed upon his bride; she was beaming. His eyes were full of love and care, and once Max made it to the altar, he whispered, "You're so beautiful." She smiled and the minister began to speak.

"Welcome to the marriage of Max Ramirez and Xavier Hunts. You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the joy of this union," said the priest. "Max and Xavier, please join hands." She paused and asked Max, "Do you, Max Ramirez, knowing this man's love for you and returning it, realizing his strengths and learning from them, recognizing his weaknesses and helping him to overcome them, take Xavier Hunts to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," Max whispered, tears of joy falling from her eyes.

"Place the ring on his finger," the minister said, and Max slid the ring onto his ring finger.

"Do you, Xavier Hunts, knowing this woman's love for you and returning it, realizing her strengths and learning from them, recognizing her weaknesses and helping her to overcome them, take Max Ramirez to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," Xavier vowed, and the holy woman declared, "Place the ring on her finger. Let these rings serve as locks–not binding you together–but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever. And now Max Ramirez and Xavier Hunts, seeking the fulfillment of love and marriage, find again that the poet Gibran speaks for them:

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.

To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks to another day of loving.

To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;

To return home eventide with gratitude, and then sleep with a prayer

For the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.'

I now pronounce you husband and wife. Xavier, you may kiss your bride." Xavier lifted Max's veil from her face and deeply kissed her. She returned the kiss, and knew she couldn't be happier.

_1 YEAR LATER _

"Happy anniversary, Max Hunts!" Xavier greeted his wife, and he took her face in his hands and gently kissed her.

"Happy anniversary, Xavier," Max echoed her husband. She sighed happily. "I can't believe it's already been a year to the day we were married." Their wedding day was almost permanently engraved in their memories, like a plaque, which would stay there forever.

"What do you say we go to Carolina Crossroads?" he suggested. "It's a great place to have dinner on our wedding anniversary." Max smiled before they went upstairs to don their formal attire. Minutes passed, and Xavier was the first to get dressed. He waited downstairs for his wife, eagerly anticipating to begin celebrating their first year of marriage. They had both made the right decision when they married, despite his in-laws' wariness of ther nuptials. Moments later, Max descended down the stairs. Her hair was in a long, side-swept braid, and she had a fair amount of makeup on. She was clad in a white, floor-length, strapless evening dress and had her Yin-Yang necklace around her neck. "You're beautiful," said her husband.

"Thank you," she replied. They climbed into her Mustang, and drove off to the Crossroads. Several minutes passed as they killed time reminiscing about their wedding day. In the midst of their conversation, Xavier screamed, "MAX, WATCH OUT!" She shot her attention to the road, but was too late. She screamed, and the oncoming bus smashed into her car, flipping it over thrice. The vehicle landed upside down, and Xavier coughed up some shards of glass and blood. "Max?" he yelled shakily. He turned his head and was horrified; she was unconscious with a deep cut on her head, a piece of the windshield impaled in her chest and her entire body was bruised and battered. He heard the sound of ambulances, and he kicked his door open, stumbling out onto the road, trembling uncontrollably.

"I am so sorry," said the nurse. "Your wife has a severe concussion and is in a coma. We weren't able to stop her bleeding, but we're doing all we can. We don't know if she'll survive." Tears of horror fell down his face. He pressed a hand to his mouth, barely stifling a sob. The nurse departed, leaving him to grieve. He sat down in the waiting room and buried his face in his hands, sobbing. Max was slipping through his fingers, and he couldn't stop it. The love of his life was slowly dying. Xavier's sister, Erica, came into the hospital and asked, "How's Max, is she okay?"

He looked up at her, and his tears confirmed her fears. Erica sat down next to him and murmured, "I am so sorry she's dead."

"She's in a coma," Xavier corrected her, "and suffering from internal bleeding." Fresh, hot tears spilled from his eyes and his voice wavered. "They don't know if she'll make it." Erica led him out of the hospital and said, "Xavier, she'll survive. I am sure of it." He wiped his eyes, and his sister smiled weakly.

"Erica, Max means the world to me," he admitted. "She's my wife! I love her."

"I know you love her, Xavier," she said. "She'll be fine."

He nodded wordlessly, no longer trusting himself to speak. His love for Max was deep yet unconditional, and he couldn't live without her.

Several weeks passed. Xavier spent every day in the hospital, sitting by his wife's side. He told her of his struggles to cope without her and how he wished to make love to her. Her comatose state, however, broke his heart as well as something she had told him a month into their marriage. A tear drifted down his cheek just remembering their talk. He had been absolutely devastated, but they had been able to make amends, and what she had said had been haunting him. "If anything happens to me, let me die," she had said.

Xavier knew he couldn't do it. He loved her too much to simply stand by and watch her die. Tears burned in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks. He had a choice to either end his wife's suffering and fulfill her request or keep her alive. A choked sob escaped his chest at the choice of euthanizing the woman he loved. She had been showing pregnancy symptoms lately, and the thought of possibly discovering she was pregnant just after euthanizing her left him brokenhearted. He'd always wanted to be a father and was aware of Max's desires to become a mother. Despite her telling him to let her die, he knew that she would pull through and awaken from her coma. All of a sudden, she started thrashing about, the heart monitor showing a drastic increase in heart rate. Oh, God. Doctors rushed inside and began to resusicate Max. Xavier was ushered outside and he watched in anguish as they tried to save his wife. He couldn't lose her now, especially with his emotionally fragile state. Losing her would utterly destroy him. She was his other half, his soulmate and wife. He didn't know if he could bear the pain if he lost her. Minutes passed by, and he waited impatiently for any sign of Max awakening.

Finally, her eyes fluttered open. Xavier was beaming, tears of joy falling down his face. He took Max's face in his hands and she smiled up at her husband. "Kiss me, Xavier," she whispered, and he passionately kissed her, tasting her own tears.

"I love you," he confessed, and they kissed again.

Their lives together after her coma were much more complicated. She had a violent labor, but had managed to pull through. The couple had named their daughter Calla, and she proved to be the one thing that pulled them back together after they had their worst fight as wife and husband regarding fire insurance after their house had almost been completely burned down in a cooking fire as he had lost his job after a drunken incident at his office. However, despite their differences, they still loved each other deeply and that was all that mattered.


End file.
